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Although it didn’t do so at the recently concluded CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Samsung is still starting the year with a bang with its own Unpacked event. To no one’s surprise, the stars of the show are, of course, the new Galaxy S24 trio, though the much-rumored Galaxy Ring also made a very brief appearance as an unambiguous teaser. Samsung’s early 2024 flagships are bringing the expected upgrades in terms of hardware, but they’re also riding on the AI train in their own, unique way. But with every new Samsung phone also comes the question of whether its price is worth its weight in gold. We take a cursory look at what the Galaxy S24, S24+, and S24 Ultra have to offer to bring you that answer.

Designer: Samsung

What’s New

Of course, there are the customary hardware upgrades you’ll see every year, but there are a few surprise twists here and there. All three, for example, are powered by a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 “for Galaxy” chipset that’s marketed as a special flavor designed just for Samsung’s newest darlings. It’s presented as being optimized for hard AI work that we’ll get to later, but the exact performance differences between this and a vanilla Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 are probably going to be subtle.

Also subtle are the slightly larger displays on this year’s generation of Galaxy phones, at least for the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, and only by 0.1 inches. The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s screen remains the same large 6.8 inches, but the design change is actually greater in some other areas, as we’ll soon see. All three get brighter panels, though, so reading under the sun shouldn’t be a problem if it was before.

While most of the features are similar across the three models, differing mostly in screen size, things take a very different turn when it comes to the cameras. Suffice it to say, the Galaxy S24 and S24+ do not get any meaningful upgrade in terms of camera hardware, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra seems to take one step forward and one step back with at least one of four cameras. One of the two telephoto cameras gets a denser 50MP sensor but halves the optical zoom from 10x to 5x. Samsung assures, however, that the quality of a 10x “hybrid” zoom from that new sensor will just be as good, thanks to some AI tricks, of course.

Bold Direction towards Flat Design

The Galaxy S24 series looks nearly identical to its predecessor at first glance, but once you take a closer look, you will notice some subtle yet important differences. The Galaxy S24 and S24+ now adopt a completely flat design on its front, back, and sides, except for the rounded corners that help it avoid a completely boxy appearance. This refinement, though small, does put it in the same boat as many notable premium smartphones these days, particularly the latest iPhones.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra only changes its screen design, but that actually has the biggest repercussion in this generation. Gone are the curved edges that used to mark high-end flagships, with a screen that’s completely flat across the surface. It gives it a more modern look, at least as far as current design trends go, but the more important consequence is that owners now have full access to the entire screen using the included S Pen. No more avoiding or accidentally sliding off the edges because you can now utilize every single inch and pixel on that large screen.

AI for a Price

With AI still reigning as the buzzword in consumer electronics, it was really only a matter of time before Samsung joined the bandwagon in this industry as well. There are plenty of AI-powered features being advertised on the Galaxy S24 and, to Samsung’s credit, they really do show what the technology can do and how we can harness it for our benefit.

Real-time translations are one of the best examples of this artificial intelligence, and both two-way Live Translate and split-screen Interpreter help break down language barriers when communicating with people around the globe. Samsung Notes also gets an AI-assisted Notes Assist for summaries and template creation, while Voice Recorder gets Transcript Assist for transcribing audio recordings. And, of course, there are also tons of AI-powered image editing features in the Camera and Gallery apps.

There is one particular application of AI that also demonstrates the continued cooperation between Samsung and Google, former frenemies on the Android platform. As the name clearly states, Circle to Search lets you simply draw a circle around an image or even a block of text on your screen to initiate a Google Search.

As useful as these may sound, it seems that Samsung will be taking a rather controversial approach to providing AI features on its gallery phones. Samsung’s suite of Galaxy AI features will apparently be available for free on these devices only until 2025, after which it could charge a subscription fee for using them. It doesn’t exactly state how much that will be or which features will be covered by this limitation, though Google’s Circle to Search and other third-party AI features are most likely going to be exempt. Nothing’s set in stone yet, but this will surely lessen the appeal of relying on these features heavily.

Should you buy it or upgrade?

And now for the most critical part of the decision-making process: the price tags. The Galaxy S24 starts at $799.99 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the Galaxy S24+ will go for $999.99 for 12GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. These are pretty much the same launch prices as the Galaxy S23 and S23+, which isn’t surprising considering very little has changed.

The Galaxy S24 Ultra, however, is a chunky $100 higher than last year’s model, now starting at $1,299.99 for 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It’s a considerable price jump, especially when you consider you might be asked to pay for those trendy Galaxy AI features in two years. That new telephoto camera might be partly to blame, among other things.

If you’re looking to jump into the Samsung ecosystem for the first time, then it’s really only a choice between the smaller and more affordable Galaxy S24 and the larger, fully-featured Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Galaxy S24+ might sound like it has the best of both worlds, but it’s actually the opposite. Its only winning grace is the larger screen and battery, both of which will set you back $100 more than the Galaxy S24 but still won’t have the better cameras of the Galaxy S24 Ultra at the very least.

Considering all these, it’s going to be tough to recommend upgrading to any of the three models if you still have a perfectly fine Galaxy 23 or even a Galaxy 22. Even the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with a creator-friendlier flat display, is going to be a hard sell considering it’s also more expensive. The jury is still out on the camera improvements, though it’s probably not going to be too mind-blowing compared to the already decent quartet on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Of course, if you have a Galaxy S21 series or older, then there’s almost no more doubt about making the jump or not.

The post How much is the Galaxy S24: Is it worth the price first appeared on Yanko Design.

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Like it or not, and some definitely don’t, the things that AI and neural networks can accomplish these days are nothing short of mind-blowing. Never mind the rather dated speech recognition that has now become all too common, AI has now become famous and notorious for being able to analyze just about anything and generate something from those data points, whether they’re images, novels, or even the chicken scratch that is our handwriting. Turning human scribbles into digital text that computers can process has long been one of the Holy Grails of computing, but being able to make sense of those scribbles is a different story. AI has come to a point where it can not only understand but even solve handwritten equations, and that’s a capability that this smart calculator is harnessing to ease the pain of cross-checking math problems, almost like magic.

Designer: Divyansh Tripathi

It’s relatively easy for computers and even phones these days to recognize handwriting and turn it into their digital equivalent, but AI goes the extra mile by understanding those words and, in this case, numbers and symbols. Math solvers, just like AI text generators, are somewhat controversial because of their potential for abuse, but the technology itself is quite impressive and, just like any other tool, could also be put to good use.

That’s the potential that the OBSCURA smart calculator concept is trying to harness, offering an all-in-one problem-solving device for any and all numerical problems. Unlike your typical advanced calculator, this one comes with a camera so that you can take pictures of a handwritten formula and run it through a solver such as Photomath, Microsoft Maths Solver, Socratic, and others. It doesn’t stop at “seeing” formulas and problems, however. It also has a built-in mic so you can verbally ask it about the problem.

Of course, you can also just type out the numbers like with any regular scientific calculator. In terms of the device’s interface, what sets this calculator apart is a touch control that lets you adjust the viewfinder or move the cursor around on the display. In all other aspects, it’s pretty much like any other powerful calculator, just that it has AI running inside.

Of course, that raises the question of the purpose of such a device, especially when smartphones have access to the same hardware and AI services. A smartphone, however, also has plenty of distractions that can drag you away from the work at hand, especially if that work happens to involve disagreeable numbers. Obscura, at least, offers to do some of the rote work, especially with cross-checking solutions, but it’s still up to the user to be responsible with such great power in their hands.

The post AI-powered calculator concept can solve even handwritten math problems first appeared on Yanko Design.

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The COVID-19 pandemic may be over, but the challenge of maintaining clean air persists. If there’s anything we’ve learned over the past year, it’s that conventional solutions are no longer sufficient when it comes to breathing fresh air. Common disposable and cloth masks do block some harmful elements, but they also block proper airflow. Some fan-enabled masks improve that situation slightly, but they still put an obstacle to some of the ordinary tasks that we do each day, especially when our voices are involved. Enter the age of AI-enabled technology. The innovative AI Air Mask not only filters out harmful elements with superior efficiency but also enhances airflow, ensuring that breathability and communication remain clear and unhindered. This is the next step in wearable health tech, promising not just cleaner air but also proactive health monitoring, all in a sleek, comfortable, and inclusive design.

Designer: Leandro Rolon

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We now live in a world where even the air inside our homes can be suspect, so one can only imagine how much worse the situation is outdoors. Just in time for the health scare that gripped the world, ATMOBLUE launched its first smart wearable purifier to address the need for clean, breathable air anywhere you go. It went beyond the minimum requirement of simply blocking harmful microorganisms to deliver a solution that was effective, customizable, and most importantly, comfortable.

The first ATMOBLUE smart mask was practically a mini air purifier you could wear on your mouth. It utilized replaceable H13 HEPA filters to do the heavy lifting of blocking as much as 99.97% of harmful particles such as bacteria and PM2.5. But while some masks stopped there, ATMOBLUE went above and beyond to include a dual fan airflow system that removed that suffocating feeling whenever you wear a face mask. The result wasn’t just clean air but breathable air as well, increasing the comfort and confidence of wearers who made the investment in backing the project.

As successful as that smart mask was, it isn’t yet the pinnacle of healthy breathing. Stepping into the limelight again, the creators of the ATMOBLUE Mask are presenting an even more advanced solution that leverages the hard-earned lessons of the past and applies the benefits of artificial intelligence to provide a more holistic view of the wearer’s health. This AI-driven Air Mask, an evolution of the original ATMOBLUE Mask, features a refined semi-transparent silicone body for premium comfort. It is equipped with a dynamic adaptive filtration system that intelligently senses environmental changes and auto-adjusts in real time for optimal protection.

But wait, there’s more! Wearing a mask always has the effect of muffling one’s voice, which can be an even bigger problem when trying to communicate. Addressing this issue head-on, the AI Air Mask is ingeniously equipped with an integrated microphone and Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to convey your voice clearly and confidently. Elevating the experience further, this mask incorporates advanced voice recognition and AI capabilities, creating a symbiotic relationship with your AI smart assistant that transcends traditional communication barriers. Beyond enhancing dialogue, the AI Air Mask serves as a guardian of your well-being, continuously analyzing key health metrics such as temperature, respiratory patterns, and cough frequency, not only to provide better insight into your health but also to warn you of potential infection.

With the AI Air Mask, the creators of ATMOBLUE aren’t just offering an upgraded wearable but also an investment in a healthier future. That’s exactly the kind of investment you’re making with this sweet pre-sale deal that lets you not only reserve a spot but also get a 50% discount when the world’s first AI-driven smart mask launches next year.

Click Here to Buy Now: $99 $299 ($200 off). Hurry, exclusive deal for YD readers only! Raised over $1.5 million.

The post Breath Smarter, Not Harder: Introducing the World’s first Ai-Driven Smart Mask first appeared on Yanko Design.

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